Baffle



Aug- 15, 1952 w. F. RICHARDS 1,871,738

B'AFFLE Fild Aug. '2.3, 1930 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED As-'mxras PA'r-iiNrv OFFICE i WILLIAM F. RICHARDS, OF MASON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO S. IVI. A. CORPORATION,

VO IE CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION F `OHIO BAFFLE Application led August 23, 1930. YSerial No. 477,237.

This invention relates to baffles for spray driers used for drying liquid materials, such as milk products or the like. The invention is an improvement upon that described and claimed in my prior patent forV baiile granted June 17, 1930, N o. 1,764,983, to which reference may be had, if desired, for a more complete description of what may be only briefly referred to here. Y i

The object of the present invention is to generally improve the baffle, making' it stronger and simpler in construction, and with its baffling or deflecting vanes well lsupported, and more ecient in directing air movement and sweeping off the deposited material therefrom, as will more fully appearl hereinafter.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawing, which represents one suitable embodiment of the invention, Fig. l is an outside elevation, partly in sectional elevation through the central axis, and illustrating a baliie applied in use; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the baiiie alone; Fig. 3 is in part a side elevation and in part a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on the line 4 4, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detail elevation, on a larger scale, looking edgewise toward several adjoining baffling' vanes; and Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are sectional elevations,

respectively, on the lines 6 6, 7-7 andV 8 8, Fig. 2.

As in my prior patent, the baffle to be described is utilized with a dry room embodying a chamber l to which heated air is applied for drying purposes through a conduit 2 having an air supply part 3 within the drying chamber l. The air supply part 3 of the conduit, lying within the chamber, is rotatable about the central vertical axis because of its attachment to an operating shaft 5 rotated by a suitable driver 6, and the conduit 3 forms a support for the baffle, indicated generally at 7, Fig. l. Said baflie, as in my prior patent, serves toy deflect the air stream and distribute it throughout the drying chamber, so that it flows evenly to all parts of the same and produces uniform drying in case'the burned product is mixed therewith. i

' The baffle forming the subject matter of the present invention comprises a central support made `of two half tube sections 8,

which may be made by splitting a. section of pipe longitudinally for more convenient assembly of the baiile as a whole. To each of the pipe sections 8 are attached a series of sheet metal vanes 9, each of generally triangular form with the vertical edges suitably attached to the pipe sections, such as by being provided with small flanges riveted or brazedthereto, as in my prior patent. The outer edges of the vanes are inclined upwardly andv outwardly. In other words, the baie, viewed in elevation, is like an inverted cone. `The several vanes all lie'in vertical planes extending radially outwardly from the central axis. At their upper edges the several vanes are bent laterally in curved form, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the free horizontal upper edge of each vane slightly overlaps the vertical wall of thenextvane. The curvature of bend of the horizontal fin portions 9a thus formed is on approximately a 90o arc of a-y circle, with a radius of curvature decreasing from the outer edges toward the central vertical axis, as will appear upon comparison of Figs, 7 and 8. As a result, the slots or openings presented horizontally between the upper horizontal edge of each vane and the surface of the neighboring vane increases in width from the central axis outwardly and isV quite wide at its outermost point. This arrangement Very Vlargely increases the arearof the said mouths or openings, oering less obstruction to the passage of air through or between the vanes of the baffle, and Vthe curvature of the walls or fins assists in gradually deiiecting the air current to produce outward or spiral motion. Moreover, since more air flows upwardlybetween each two neighboring vanes of the baffle the sweeping effect of the air current,

by which material which otherwise might lodge upon thebaiiie, is swept od from its vanes, is materially increased.

For strengthening the structure I provide an annulus extending around the baiile at any suitable point, say about midway of its height and connecting vane to vvane at apoint outwardly from the central axis. This annulus may extend around the outer edges of the'vanesybutlas shown itis in the form of a round bar 10 benttopass 'through openlngs 1n the succeedingvanes of the baie and rigidly secured to each of them in any sui-th' gradually deflect the air current through said mouths.

2. A baffle of the form described in claim 1, in which the curved portions of the'vanes are curved on radii which increase outwardly from the central axis. A l

B. A baffle ofthe formidescribed iii-claim 1, in which the said mouths increase in width from the central axis outwardly.

" -Inrtestimony WLLIAM F. RICHARDS.

whereof. Innere-by'. my signature. l:

able manner, such as by brazing.. Preferably, the annulus 10 is split at two Yp'cints' along tube members of the baflleland secured to the tube 3. Air iiowsfreely" through the tube andits upper end maybe baffled by a' small perforated cone 13. To increase the flow of air upwardly throughthehollow tubular support 8 l may provi'devits lower'end wit-h an air collector 14, which, for example, may be made off apiece of sheet -metal bent to funnelY or cornucopiaiorm-with its AAedges overlapping, said collector being.Y suitably attached to the support 8, -asrby bolts or r rivets 15.- With this arrangement, and especially with light sheetmetal, the'amount of. flare may be adjustedas desired, as .with a paper Cornucopia, until'the inverted funnel thereby formed increases the eiiective area at the bottom of `pipe 8 to any degree. In this manner more 'or less air Amaybe caused Vto flowupw-ardl'y through pipe `8ste insurethat both said'pipe and the cone 13 are kept freef'oi powder deposits. f x A Y While the balile shownis mounted 'upon andy rotates with the airl inlet pipe 3, this-is not essential, as 'the baiiie may be independent-ly' mounted and may even befcarried on A ball bearings so that it rotates reelycby the propelling force 'of the upwardly moving air stream.

l'. A baille for spray dri'ers, comprising a vertically disposed member having 'a central Y axis, a seri-es of radial vanes attached to said member and each arranged Vin agplane passing through the central axis, the upper edges of-said vanes being curved laterally to form a series of lins overlapping eachv other and presentingy 'horizontal mouths or openings, said fins being connected to the verticalfpol-` tions'ofvthe vanes by curved parts' which 

